PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE READ FOR GEORGE.

Please take a moment to read the following post by my very vegan husband, Steven Todd Smith.

George was a beloved duck in the San Antonio River Walk area. He hung out by the Original Mexican Restaurant and was friendly toward patrons. A couple of nights ago, two guys tortured and killed George. It's a sad occurrence and I'm sure very sad for the people who interacted with him or even had the chance to meet him once.

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I know some ducks who now live at Farm Sanctuary's Animal Acres They're adorable and a lot of them are shy. They waddle around, eat, swim & lounge in their little pools. Lindsay and I sponsored a goose named Winny when she first arrived at the sanctuary. We love her very much, visit her, and play and cuddle with her. Although she can be a bit nippy sometimes to those she doesn't feel safe around, we have developed a sincere bond with her and only get affectionate snuggles and nibbles now. I've even seen Lindsay walk into Winny's area, lay down, and watch in awe as Winny remembers Lindsay and calmly climbs on top of her. It's a bond that can only be built through mutual respect, kindness, and love. 

Here is Kate Winslet narrating a video about Foie Gras cruelty. Foie Gras, meaning "fat(ty) liver," is a delicacy among some circles & high-end diners. To create this dish of a duck's fatty liver, the duck has to be force-fed until the liver is abnormally large. The ducks either die or are killed, and then people eat their livers. You can read more about it here. Ducks are also eaten for their flesh, not just their fatty livers.

Whether we're talking about George, Winny, or the many ducks and geese killed for foie gras that remain nameless, we're talking about living beings, living creatures, animals whom we, as humans, have the ability to develop relationships with, just like our own companion animals: dogs, cats, pigs, chickens, etc. A story like George's, which is truly sad, is shared with such sorrow and heaviness, while there are no stories shared (of the same kind) of the billions of ducks and geese - who could be named George, who could be as friendly as George - who are killed for their flesh or fatty livers, also truly sad.

If you are sad about George's death, just like the newscasters and those in the River Walk area, I highly recommend that you think about your food choices a little, or a lot, deeper. Duck, cow, pig, chicken, goat, dog, cat - all of these animals are eaten by some people around the world; all of these animals have names and are friendly companions to some people around the world. 

We must, as human beings, bridge the disconnect and live in alignment with our beliefs and values; if that involves kindness, compassion, and an adversity to killing (innocent beings), then it must be for all, for George and all like George.

Go to www.chooseveg.com to learn how to take steps toward a more compassionate lifestyle, and thank you for reading today. 
Dear vegan food,

Thank you. For nearly five years of beautiful, yummy, compassionate bliss. For always satisfying every single taste bud. For keeping my body energized and strong. For enduring the first year of trial and error as I learned how to cook you. For being patient as I tasted different kinds of you over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again until I realized I liked you. All of you. For being more delicious, more fulfilling, more comforting than any animal-based food I've ever had. For not purposely harming a single living being in the making of you. For being healthy (most of you). For always being there, in my kitchen, no matter what kind of day I've had. For loving me back by making my body smile, my heart stay open, and my mind remain at peace. I love you and will continue eating you - and only you - for as long as I can eat. That's a promise.
Love,

Lindsay

Real Men Are Vegan!

My sexy vegan husband with Paulo at
Farm Sanctuary's Animal Acres
"It takes no great feat of strength to drive through KFC and pick up a bucket of chicken parts. It takes zero courage to pay desperate (and often illegal) workers to slaughter the most docile and defenseless creatures on earth. And hunting down a hot dog while watching the game hardly qualifies as bravery.
What DOES take strength, courage and fortitude is standing up for what’s right – even if it’s inconvenient, or means going against the grain. While many stereotypes about manhood ring false for me, some do ring true. In my opinion, real men are those who stand tall to protect the weak and defenseless. Real men choose integrity over peer-pressure. Real men don’t harm and kill others for pleasure or “sport.” Real men fight for justice and refuse to participate in the needless exploitation and oppression of others.
In other words, real men are vegan."
- from the blog, Veganism Is the Future
Comment if you are a strong, vegan man or know one who is!

Celebrating Earth Day and VegWeek 2013! Make a Pledge!

It's that time again! Celebrate Earth Day and VegWeek 2013 with a revamped KMIV post from last year.

Today, Monday, April 22nd is our 43rd anniversary of Earth Day, a day observed to celebrate this amazing planet on which we live by doing "green" acts of good to positively benefit our Earth.  Over 1 billion people all over the world actively celebrated this year's Earth Day, as shared by the Earth Day Network, with pledges ranging from planting gardens to "unplugging" for the day, from recycling to limiting water usage.

Within the past couple of years, the United Nations has been outspoken on the one greatest contributor to our global climate/environment issue: the consumption of animal products.  Some recent articles, here and here, detail the latest environmental statistics.  With the meat and dairy industries' blatant over-usage of earth's precious resources (water and fossil fuels specifically), with the devastation of rainforests to clear space for animal agriculture, with unnecessary pollution, runoff, waste and excess climate-changing gases produced from factory farms (and other smaller animal-based industries), our planet - and therefore, all life on it - is suffering tremendously.  While all of the pledges listed above are valuable in their own ways, there is one specific choice that can make the most difference: adopt a compassionate, healthful, Earth-friendly vegan diet.  And here's why!



A 2011 study conducted by the Vegetarian Resource Group showed that 2.5% of the US population - that's about 8 million people - consume vegan diets, double the amount from 2009.   And along with this "market for vegan food," there's been a distinct decrease in the amount of meat, dairy, and eggs consumed, as noted in Nil Zacharius' HuffPo article.

We still have a long way to go though, and that's why we're reaching out to you to help make a difference this year - which will end up making a difference for all years to come. 


This week is VegWeek Running from today, Monday, April 22nd through Sunday, April 28th, this week is all about making those compassionate, healthful, Earth-friendly choices to benefit all life on our planet along with our Earth herself!  What can you do?  So many things!

1) Do you eat omnivorously?  Not sure what to do?  Start simple and try one day of plant-based meals.  Just one day.  It's amazing what even one day can do to benefit the TriVegta (health, animals, environment)... 

Yeah, still proud of my invented TriVegta.


The late Oreo at Animal Acres. (Photo © Cameron O'Steen)
2) Are you bold?  Do you want to make a difference?  Take a 7-day Veg Pledge (and maybe win some cool prizes from Compassion Over Killing)!

3) Vegetarian? Go Vegan one day! Or even better: the whole week!

4) Vegan? Encourage at least one friend, family member, coworker to try any of options #1-3!

5) Human being? Well, if you are (I think that means every one of you), then please share this blog post to help spread the word about the greatest choice to save our world!


Check out COK's resources, upcoming events, participating VegWeek restaurants, and sponsors, and do your best to make every day an Earth day.

Please comment below with your Earth Day/VegWeek 2013 pledge!  Help make the biggest difference you can!

Kisses,
Lindsay and Steve


Enjoy some more of these articles on veganism, the environmental toll from eating meat, etc.




Food Pics. For your Eyes, Taste Buds, and Bellies.

The past few months have brought us many delicious meals.  Restaurants in LA, raw food masterpieces in Bimini, and a lot of fun in the kitchen. Tons of pictures floating around on our phones and on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram... but few/none to the blog.  And that's a travesty!

So it's time to start the sharing.  There's quite a backlog.  But that'll just provide that much more yummy viewing & visual salivating.  We'll start in the WolfSmith kitchen, where Steve's been having some fun making up his own recipes:



KGB (Kale Garbanzo Brownrice Burger) - still in the making, finalized recipe to come! (It packs lots of flavor and spice! And it's green!)


Adding to the KGBs with Daiya Mozzarella and homemade split pea topping 

Stuffed Peppers! This one packs in asparagus, carrots, mushrooms, and brussels sprouts.  Definitely Nooched up, also.

Stuffed Peppers Part Deux! Got cheesy and spicy with these, adding some Daiya, hot sauce,  paprika (and possibly a bit too much black pepper).

Stuffed Peppers Part Trois! This variation has brown rice, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus, topped with partially blended chickpeas.

Peter Piper picked a peck of (unpickled) peppers, then stuffed them, topped them with chickpeas, baked them, and ate them.  I hope he gave me credit for the delicious recipe.

Inspired by Jane Esselstyn's Sweet Potato Polenta Stacks (which will be featured in Rip Esselstyn's upcoming book, My Beef With Meat) at Farms2Forks in LA, I tried out my own Sweet Potato Stax, with some ketchup and cashew cream.

Sweet Potato Stax new and improved - and even more delicious and colorful and messy and fun! These feature tempeh, polenta, steamed spinach, ketchup, and cashew cream stacked between the sweet potato layers.  Yum, yum, yum.

Many more mouthwatering pictures 
(and as many recipes that go along with them) to come!


Things I love.

This. 

vegan pancakes at Cafe Gratitude in LA


And this. 



snuggling with winny the goose at
farm sanctuary's animal acres in acton, ca.

And THIS. 



... And THIS.